JP2002002328A - Follow-up travel device and method of controlling it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify a preceding vehicle to be followed. SOLUTION: When one's own vehicle is determined to be at standstill (YES at S1) and an inter-vehicle distance L relative to a vehicle ahead, as detected by an inter-vehicle distance sensor, is not greater than a predetermined value α(e.g. 5 m) (YES at S2 and S3), then the driver is notified that he or she can start follow-up travel, with the specification of the preceding vehicle complete (S7); a throttle valve controller and a brake controller are controlled by an ECU and follow-up travel control is performed whereby the vehicle is made to travel as the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle specified is kept at the desired inter-vehicle distance (S8).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention specifies a preceding vehicle running ahead of a host vehicle as a preceding vehicle to be followed, and keeps an inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle equal to or greater than a target inter-vehicle distance to follow the vehicle. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a follow-up traveling device mounted on an automobile, a target inter-vehicle distance is set in accordance with a vehicle speed of the own vehicle by a vehicle speed sensor, and the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and a preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane is determined by the following distance. If the inter-vehicle distance is detected by the distance sensor and the inter-vehicle distance is smaller than the target inter-vehicle distance, the throttle valve is closed or automatic braking is applied to reduce the speed, and control is performed to maintain the inter-vehicle distance at or above the target inter-vehicle distance. I have.

At this time, the preceding vehicle to be followed is automatically specified. For example, if the preceding vehicle candidate exists within the detection range of the inter-vehicle distance sensor during low-speed running, the following vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle candidate is determined. If the inter-vehicle distance at that time is an appropriate value based on the relative speed with respect to the own vehicle, the preceding vehicle candidate is specified (locked on) as the preceding vehicle, and the following traveling control is performed on the preceding vehicle thereafter. It is done.

[0004]

However, according to the above-described conventional method for specifying a preceding vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle does not enter the detection range D (hatched portion in the figure) of the inter-vehicle distance sensor. In the case where the preceding vehicle Sa is present between the own vehicle M and the preceding vehicle candidate Sr, in order to follow the vehicle without fear of a rear-end collision, the preceding vehicle Sa should be specified as the preceding vehicle. There is a problem that the vehicle Sa cannot be recognized as a preceding vehicle.

[0005] Specifically, taking a motorcycle as an example, a normal motorcycle travels near the roadside without traveling in the center of the diagonal line. Even if such a motorcycle is running, the conventional method described above
This motorcycle is not specified as a preceding vehicle,
While a sufficient inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the target inter-vehicle distance is secured between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle candidate in front of the motorcycle, the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the motorcycle is Because the motorcycle is very short, if the motorcycle approaches the center of the lane and decelerates, it may be unavoidable that the own vehicle cannot avoid a rear-end collision with the motorcycle.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-961 discloses a following travel control in which, when a plurality of target objects are detected by a forward monitoring radar device, the one with the smallest relative distance is set as the following travel target. Although the apparatus is described, also in this case, as described in the example of FIG. 4, it is not possible to recognize a vehicle outside the detection range of the radar apparatus between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to ensure that a preceding vehicle to be followed can be specified.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a follow-up traveling device according to the present invention specifies a preceding vehicle traveling in front of an own vehicle as a preceding vehicle to be followed, and identifies the preceding vehicle with the preceding vehicle. In a following travel device that travels while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance of the target vehicle or more, an inter-vehicle distance sensor that detects the inter-vehicle distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the own vehicle speed, A determination switch for specifying a vehicle, the vehicle distance from the vehicle distance sensor by the vehicle distance sensor, and the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor, the vehicle is in a stopped state, and the vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When the determination switch is operated when the determination is made, the control unit is provided for specifying the preceding vehicle as a preceding vehicle to be followed.

According to such a configuration, there are three conditions that the own vehicle is in a stopped state, that the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and that the driver or the like operates a decision switch. When it is established, the preceding vehicle is specified as a preceding vehicle to be followed. That is, even if the own vehicle is stopped and the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the preceding vehicle is not specified unless the determination switch is operated.

Therefore, when there is a vehicle that is out of the detection range of the inter-vehicle distance sensor between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle that is a candidate for the preceding vehicle, the driver determines that the vehicle should be the preceding vehicle. The driver does not operate the determination switch because it can do so, and if there is no such vehicle, the driver determines that the preceding vehicle detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor may be specified as the preceding vehicle and sets the determination switch. Manipulate.

Therefore, the preceding vehicle is specified only when the driver operates the decision switch after visually recognizing the driver, and it is possible to surely prevent the erroneous recognition when the preceding vehicle is specified as in the related art.

Further, in the following traveling apparatus according to the present invention, after the control unit specifies a preceding vehicle to be followed, the control unit determines the preceding vehicle based on the following distance by the following distance sensor and the own vehicle speed by the vehicle speed sensor. Recognizing the start of,
It is characterized in that the notifying means is controlled to notify the start.

According to such a configuration, when the start of the preceding vehicle is recognized by the control unit, the notifying means is controlled and the start is notified, so that the driver starts from the stop state of the preceding vehicle and starts driving. It can be easily recognized that the vehicle is in a situation where it is possible to start following.

Further, the control method of the following traveling device according to the present invention is provided with a decision switch for specifying a preceding vehicle to be followed, and based on the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle speed, In the stopped state, when it is determined that the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if the determination switch is operated, the preceding vehicle is specified as a preceding vehicle to be followed. .

According to such a configuration, the preceding vehicle is specified only after the driver visually recognizes and operates the decision switch. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a misidentification in the case where the preceding vehicle is specified as in the related art. it can.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, an inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 composed of, for example, a scanning laser radar irradiates a laser beam in front of the own vehicle and sets a predetermined angle (for example, 0.1 mm).
°) is scanned in the horizontal direction at a time, and the reflected light is received by the receiver, and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle traveling in the same lane is detected from the time from the irradiation of the laser light to the reception of the reflected light. You. The time required for such one inter-vehicle distance detection process is a very short time of about 100 ms, and such detection is repeated at regular intervals.

The own vehicle speed is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2, and the detected speed data is output to an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as ECU), which will be described later, like the inter-vehicle distance data by the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1. You. Further, a decision switch 3 operated by a user interface such as a driver to specify a preceding vehicle to be followed is provided, and other operation switches such as a follow start switch and a follow release switch, and various switches 4 such as a detection switch are provided. Is provided.

In order to maintain a predetermined target inter-vehicle distance during follow-up running, a throttle valve controller 5 for adjusting the opening of the throttle valve to accelerate and decelerate, and a brake controller 6 for controlling the brake are provided. A display unit 7 including an LED, a buzzer, and the like for issuing various warnings and notifying the status of the own vehicle is provided. The throttle valve controller 5, brake controller 6, and display unit 7 are controlled by the ECU 8 Controlled.

The ECU 8 has a function of setting a target inter-vehicle distance corresponding to the own vehicle speed based on the inter-vehicle distance data from the preceding vehicle and the own vehicle speed data input from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 and the vehicle speed sensor 2. At the same time, the relative speed between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle is derived from the change in the following distance by the following distance sensor 1 and the set target following distance is determined while determining the acceleration and deceleration conditions of the preceding vehicle based on the relative speed. It has a function of controlling the throttle valve controller 5 and the brake controller 6 in order to control the following running while holding the throttle valve.

At this time, for example, a target inter-vehicle distance table in which target inter-vehicle distances for various speeds are tabulated is prepared and stored in a memory such as a RAM, and the own vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 2 at that time is stored. May be read from the target inter-vehicle distance table and set.

The ECU 8 determines whether or not the own vehicle is in a stopped state from the inter-vehicle distance data from the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 and the own vehicle speed data from the vehicle speed sensor 2. When the following three conditions are satisfied: the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, 5 m), and the decision switch 3 is operated by the user, the inter-vehicle distance is detected. Has a function of identifying (locking on) the preceding vehicle as the preceding vehicle to be followed. The process of specifying the preceding vehicle by the ECU 8 corresponds to the control unit.

When the ECU 8 recognizes that the preceding vehicle has started from the following distance by the following distance sensor 1 and the own vehicle speed by the vehicle speed sensor 2 after the identification (lock-on) of the preceding vehicle is completed, the ECU 8 displays a message. The start is controlled by controlling the unit 7 and the driver is notified of the start. When the driver operates the following start switch among the various switches 4 based on the notification, the following running is started. The display unit 7 at this time functions as a notification unit.

Further, when none of the above three conditions for specifying the preceding vehicle is satisfied, the ECU 8 controls the display unit 7 to indicate that the conditions for specifying the preceding vehicle are not satisfied. Notify.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Now, as shown in FIG. 2, it is determined whether or not the own vehicle is stopped based on the following distance by the following distance sensor 1 and the own vehicle speed by the vehicle speed sensor 2 (S1), and if this determination result is YES. For example, the following distance sensor 1 detects the following distance L from the preceding vehicle (S2).

Further, it is determined whether or not the detected inter-vehicle distance L is equal to or less than a predetermined value α (for example, 5 m) (S3). If the determination result is NO, the above-described step is performed. When the determination result of S1 is NO, the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether the determination switch 3 is operated (S4). If the determination result of step S4 is NO, the process returns to the start, while the determination is made. If the result is YES, the display unit 7 notifies that the preceding vehicle cannot be specified (S5), and then returns to the start.

If the decision result in the step S3 is YES, it is decided whether or not the decision switch 3 is operated (S6). If the decision result is NO, the decision result is YES. This determination is repeated until the determination result is YES, and the display unit 7 notifies that the specification of the preceding vehicle may be completed and the following travel may be started (S10).
7) The ECU 8 controls the throttle valve controller 5
Then, the brake controller 6 is controlled to perform a follow-up traveling control of traveling while maintaining the specified inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle at the target inter-vehicle distance (S8), and then return to the start.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the own vehicle M is in a stopped state, and the inter-vehicle distance L to the preceding vehicle Sa to be detected is not more than a predetermined value α (= 5 m). When the three conditions that the decision switch is operated by the driver or the like are satisfied, the vehicle Sa ahead of the condition is satisfied.
Is specified as the preceding vehicle to follow.

On the other hand, when the vehicle M is not in a stopped state, when the vehicle M is stopped, the inter-vehicle distance L is not less than a predetermined value, or when the vehicle is in a stopped state and the inter-vehicle distance Is less than or equal to a predetermined value, if there is no operation of the decision switch by the driver or the like, the preceding vehicle is not specified.

As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, another preceding vehicle Sa which is out of the detection range D of the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1 exists between the own vehicle M and the preceding vehicle Sr which is a candidate for the preceding vehicle. Sometimes, the driver does not operate the determination switch 3 because the driver can determine that the vehicle Sa should be the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, if there is no such preceding vehicle Sa, the driver does not detect the inter-vehicle distance sensor 1. The determination switch is operated by determining that the target preceding vehicle candidate Sr may be specified as the preceding vehicle.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the preceding vehicle is specified only when the driver operates the determination switch 3 after visually recognizing the vehicle. Can be prevented.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the notification means is constituted by the display unit 7 has been described. However, in addition to the above-described LED and buzzer, a voice synthesizing means, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like can transmit a message to an auditory or visual sense. Of course, it may be appealing and notifying.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where three conditions for specifying the preceding vehicle are not satisfied is displayed on the display 7 to that effect.
It is not always necessary to perform such notification.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the specified preceding vehicle starts after three conditions for specifying the preceding vehicle are satisfied, the fact is displayed on the display 7. The notification of the case does not have to be particularly performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes other than those described above can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first and third aspects of the present invention, there is a vehicle that is out of the detection range of the inter-vehicle distance sensor between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle that is a candidate for the preceding vehicle. The driver does not operate the decision switch because the driver can determine that the vehicle should be the preceding vehicle, while without such a vehicle, the driver has been detected by the inter-vehicle distance sensor. Since the driver operates the decision switch after judging that the preceding vehicle may be specified as the preceding vehicle, the preceding vehicle is specified only by operating the decision switch after the driver visually recognizes the vehicle. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the erroneous recognition of the preceding vehicle at the time of identification, and is very suitable as an assist for safe driving.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the control unit recognizes the start of the preceding vehicle, the notifying means is controlled to notify the start of the preceding vehicle. , It is possible to easily recognize that the vehicle is ready to start following-up running.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 inter-vehicle distance sensor 2 vehicle speed sensor 3 decision switch 7 display unit (notification means) 8 ECU (control unit)

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A follow-up traveling device that identifies a preceding vehicle traveling in front of a subject vehicle as a preceding vehicle to be followed, and keeps an inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle equal to or longer than a target inter-vehicle distance. An inter-vehicle distance sensor for detecting an inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle; a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the own vehicle speed; a determination switch for specifying a preceding vehicle to be followed; and the inter-vehicle distance and the vehicle speed sensor by the inter-vehicle distance sensor When it is determined from the own vehicle speed that the own vehicle is in a stopped state and the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if the determination switch is operated, the preceding vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle should be followed. A follow-up traveling device, comprising: a control unit that identifies the vehicle. When the control unit recognizes the start of the preceding vehicle from the inter-vehicle distance by the inter-vehicle distance sensor and the own vehicle speed by the vehicle speed sensor after specifying the preceding vehicle to be followed, the control unit determines the start of the preceding vehicle. The tracking travel device according to claim 1, wherein the notifying means is controlled to notify. 3. A control method for a following traveling device that identifies a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle as a preceding vehicle to be followed, and keeps an inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle equal to or longer than a target inter-vehicle distance. A decision switch for specifying a preceding vehicle to be followed is provided, and based on the following distance and the own vehicle speed between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the own vehicle is in a stopped state, and the following distance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When it is determined that there is an operation of the determination switch, the preceding vehicle is identified as a preceding vehicle to be followed if the decision switch is operated.